St. Landry democrat., 1887-01-08

broken stop-the vox humana OF the human
race, the disIoyal world.
Now you know that however grand the
instrument may be, if there be one key out
of order it spoils the harmony. And Christ
must mend this key; He must restore this
key; He must restore that broken stop.
You know with what bleeding hand, and
with what pierced side, and with what
crushed foot, He did the work. But the
world shall be attuned and all w orlds will
be vet accordant. If not, why that celestial
escort9 1t not, why that sentinel with
blazing badge above the caravansarya If
not, why that midnight watchmen in the
balcony or heaven! Astronomy surrend-
cred that night to Christ. This planet for
Christ; the solar system for Christ;
worlds ablaze and worlds. burned out-all
worlds for Christ.
Intensest microscope can not see the one
side of that domain. Further reaching tel
escope can not find the other side OF that
domain. But | will tell you how the uni
verse is bounded. 1t is bounded on the
north and south and east and west by
God, and that God is Christ, and that Christ
is God, and that God is ours. o, does it
not enlarge our ideas of a Saviour's domln-
ion when l tell you that all the worlds are
the worlds are only 1leecy fiocks following
the one Shepherd, that all the islands of
light in immensely are one great archlpela-
go belonging to our King!
But this scene also impresses me with
the fact that the wise men of the East came
to Christ. They were not fools; they were
not imbeciles. The record distinctly says
that the wise men came to Christ. We say
they were the magi, or they were the al
chemists, or they were the astrologlsts,
and we say it with depreciating accentua-
ton. Why, they were the most splendid
and magnificent men of the century; they
were the naturalists and the scientists; they
knew all that was known. You must re-
member that astrology was the mother OF
astronomy, and that alchemy was the
mother of chemistry, and because children
are brighter than the mother, you do not
despise the mother.
1t was the lifelong business of these as
biologists to study the stars. Twenty-Five
hundred and fifty years before Christ was
born the wise men knew the procession OF
the equinoXes, and they had calculated the
orbit and return of the comets Prof.
Smith declares that he thinks they knew
the distance of the earth from the sun. We
find in the book Of Job that the men OF
olden time did not suppose the world was
fiat, as some have said, but he knew, and
the men of his time knew, the world was
globular The Pyramids were built for
astrological and astronomical study.
Then the alchemlsts spent their lives in
the study of metals, and gases, and liquids,
and solids, and in filling the worlds libra
ries with their discoveries. They were
vastly wise men who came to the East.
They understood embalment as our most
scientific men can not understand it. After
the world has gone on studying hum
dreds of years it may come up to that point
where the ancients began to forget. l be-
lieve the lost arts are as mighty as the iv-
ing arts.
They were wise men that came from the
East, and tradition says the three wisest
came-Casper, young man; Balthazar,
man in mid-life, and Melchior, an octo-
genarian; the three wisest men of all the
century. They came to the Manager. Who
was the greatest metaphysician this coun-
try has ever producedl Johnathan Ed
wards, the Christian. Who was the
greatest astronomer of the worlda Her
schel, the Christian Who was the greatest
poet ever produceds John Milton, the
Christian Who was the wisest writer on
law! Blackstone, the Christian. Why is
it that every college and university in the
land has chapel? They must have place
for the wise men to worship.
Come, now, let US understand in ounces
and by inches this whole matter. In post
norton examination the brains of distin-
guished men have been examined, and 1
will find the largest, the heaviest, the
mightiest brain ever produced in America,
and will ask what that brain thought of
Christ There it is, the brain weighing
sixty-three ounces, the largest brain ever
produced in America Now, let me find
what that brain thought of Christ. In the
dying moment, that man said: Lord, /
believe; help Thou mine unbelief. What
ever else do, Almighty God, receive me
to Thyself for Christ's sake. This night I
shall be in life, and joy, and blessedness."
So Daniel Webster came to the manger.
The wise men of the East followed by the
wise men of the West.
Know also in this scene that it was a
winter month that God chose for His sons
nativity. Had it been the month of May
that is the season of blossoms. Had it been
the month of June-that is the month Of
roses. Had it been in the month of July
that is month Of great harvests. Had it
been in the month of Superintendent is the
season Of ripe orchards. Had it been in the
month of October-that is the season of up
holstered forests. But He was born in the
month of December, when there are no
flowers blooming out of doors, and when
all the harvests that have not been gath
cred up have persisted, and when there are
no fruits ripening on the HILL and when the
leaves are drifted over the bare earth.
OIt was in closing December that He was
born, to show this is a Christ for people in
sharp blast, for people under clouded sky,
for people with frosted hopes, for people
with thermometer below zero, for people
showed under. A December Christi That
is the reason He is so often found among
the daStitlta Xn1l find Him anv